1986: Teen model Christine "Cricket" Blair met clean-cut rock-n-roller Danny Romalotti when the two aided her best friend, Nina Webster, in an unsuccessful attempt to locate her baby, who had been stolen by a black market baby ring.

1987: Cricket and Nina befriended troubled Chancellor heir, Phillip, who was enamored with Cricket but she began dating Danny. After Cricket and Danny agreed to date others, she fell for Phillip. To boost his confidence, Phillip began drinking and, one fateful night, he got into an accident. Cricket told authorities that she was driving so that Phillip, who was under the influence, wouldn't be arrested. The negative publicity nearly cost Cricket her job as a model at Jabot. Phillip had no recollection of the accident, but ultimately assumed responsibility after Danny told him what actually happened. A jealous Nina got Phillip drunk and seduced him. Cricket was forced to make a decision between Phillip and Danny when they both proposed to her. Cricket chose Phillip — until Nina announced that she was pregnant with the Chancellor heir.

1988: Cricket broke her engagement to Phillip, saying he needed to be with his child, Phillip IV. Danny and Cricket's friendship grew stronger, as he reconciled with his con artist father Rex, and she reunited with her mother Jessica, who was dying of AIDS.

1989: Cricket and Danny helped Nina soften her rough edges. The plan worked: Phillip proposed, but their happiness was short-lived, as he died in a drunk driving accident. Later that year, Cricket fell in love with her mom's doctor, Scott Grainger, and they became engaged. But the courtship ended when Cricket discovered that Scott was her half-brother. Then, she dated Derek Stuart, who later raped her.

1990: David Kimble romanced Nina to get his hands on the Chancellor fortune, and after Chris and Danny voiced concern, David arranged to make it look as if Danny was a cocaine user and had him arrested. Eventually, the charges were dropped. Soon after, Danny and Chris married in a lush ceremony set in Hawaii.

1991: David plotted to kill Nina, but when Danny and Chris interfered, he planned to murder the three of them at the masquerade ball. But Paul learned of the plot and, while being pursued, David met his untimely death in a trash compactor.